Carmen Northwest player sets scoring record
Milwaukee Carmen Northwest’s historic 2022-2023 boys basketball season gained statewide attention this past weekend, as senior Ta’Quorion Tribune set the Wisconsin single-game scoring mark.
While individual stats from Carmen Northwest’s 122-61 WIAA Division 3 semifinal win over Fuller Collegiate Academy on Friday had yet to be reported to Wissports.net at the time of publication, social media was abuzz Friday with Tribune’s reported stat line: 77 points on 16 three-pointers, 12 two’s and five converted free throws.
“I hit my first two, three shots, and just didn’t miss any more,” Tribune, who averaged 17.2 points per game this season, said. “Everything was falling for me, everything felt good coming off my hand, so night ended how it ended.”
Tribune said he was made aware he had 44 points at halftime on Friday, at which point No. 1 seed Carmen Northwest led 79-24 over a 5-7 Fuller Collegiate
Academy team seeded ninth in their bracket.
He approached first-year head coach Dupree Fletcher about the opportunity to pursue the modern-era single-game scoring record of 76 points set by Menasha St. Mary’s Ron Dibelius in 1956.
The Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association identifies Dibelius as the record-holder despite an 88-point performance from Mellen’s Aaron Ritchay in 1917, which occurred at a time when a jump ball still occurred after every basket.
Despite some admitted internal conflict with the game out of hand, Fletcher kept Tribune in for his chance at history.
“We turned around and he had 38 (points), and we started talking about the record,” Fletcher said, adding he gave the go-ahead and kept Tribune in the game.
After Carmen Northwest’s 95-66 regional final loss to Dominican the following night, Fletcher said the consequences of that choice may have lingered into their next contest.
“(Tribune) had a thigh bruise going in, so his movement and everything was totally different from (Friday) night,” Fletcher said. “We went for that and that’s what we got.”
Carmen Northwest set a program mark for wins in a 20-4 season, while earning the Milwaukee City Conference title with an 11-1 record. It was their third conference title in four years, as Carmen Northwest won the City Conference’s
Blue Division in the 2019-2020 and 20212022 seasons. They did not play any games in the 2020-2021 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite their 2022-2023 season ending sooner than anticipated, the year overall was an encouraging one according to Fletcher.
“The program has definitely turned around in the last couple of years,” said Fletcher, who served under predecessor Branden Joseph as an assistant for two years before taking the head job.
The coach added that a family atmosphere was a big contributor to their success this season. Fletcher’s two sons including junior guard Dupree Fletcher Jr. (23.6 ppg) and sophomore guard Carmelo Fletcher (4.6 ppg) both played for Carmen Northwest this year. Senior guard Amaree Posey and brother Josiah Posey, a sophomore guard/forward, formed the team’s second brother duo. Fletcher said a number of fathers of players were involved in providing additional coaching as well, which he said was a difference from his prior years with the program.
“That was probably the difference this year, it was a family effort,” Fletcher said.